ONE FALSE NOTE
By: Michael Srouji
The games began; David and Amy got their bags and headed off to Paris…
Let me explain… It all started the week their grandmother, Grace, passed away. David and Amy were sitting on the branch of a timeworn oak tree in Grace's old mansion, she was telling them stories about how ruthless and selfish the Korman family could be.
Unfortunately, the stories didn't have a happy ending. The news was spreading… from person to relatives they didn't even hear of. But nobody bothered to tell David and Amy. After their parents died in a fire, nobody remembered they were even alive. Beatrice, their malicious aunt, told them the news with a big wide smile on her face. She said it like this "Your grandmother died!"… Frowns spread the room… "BUT, we get to inherit her wealth!"
Those blue sad faces turned into red raging faces of fury. The day of her funeral the priest, Mr. McIntyre, announced "The lucky people that find a piece of paper under their seat follow me to the great hall."
David and Amy found a paper… so did the Holts, and the Lorits, and the Yowls and finally the Dixons.
The Holts: Cole and Mary and their parents Ann and George.
Lorits: Cody and Natty and their parents Gordon and Julie.
Yowls: Jonah and Maggie and their parents Gideon and Kate.
Dixons: Ian his Dad Derrick.
They all followed the priest like a bunch of ants. The families took their seats; Mr. McIntyre cleared his throat… "As we all know there is a secret Grace has been hiding from us"… "The secret was… a contest that made this family hate each other for centuries. There are five notes scattered all over the world… the team who finds all the notes wins treasure AND this family's secret. Sighs echoed the room "But… the priest continued "If you're sluggish, you can walk away with one million dollars. You have two minutes to decide."
The families huddled up… The whispering was bloodcurdling, it sounded like an abandoned mansion, just hearing creaking sounds… "DONE!" shout the Yowls. They all approached the money as if it was royalty. They all walked gently and silently. "Time's up" the priest said. The Holts chose the contest and so did the rest of the teams.
The Lorits left the room the first, then the Dixons and finally the Holts. David and Amy had no parents or any LEGAL guardian to travel the world with. Wait, they had their babysitter, Magz. She was waiting outside the hall, wearing her usual black shirt and her ripped jeans. She had purple hair and a nose piercing. Despite her visual appearance, she was really awe-inspiring. David and Amy told her the news (while crossing their fingers) optimistically. She agreed to travel all over the world with them because, the most intriguing place she travelled to,was her backyard while her Dad sold popcorn.
In the family there are four branches, Edisons, Crusiens, Linbergs and Janus.
David and Amy were the only two who didn't know which branch they were in. It wouldn't do any harm to see the library in Grace's room one more time before they started. As they walked in they saw a crest… a divine crest. With the letter J. David stared at it with awe… realizing something.
"Amy what are the names of the branches again?" David asked.
"EdisonsCrusiens Linbergs and Janus." Answered Amy.
David stepped on a chair pressed the letters and out came a secret cave. Amy was kind of a cool nerd; she's fastidious and awesome but adores books. She rushed through the cave like a horse and went looking for history books. She found Mozart and Ben Franklin Einstein and Abraham Lincoln. She skimmed through Ben's book then Mozart, then Einstein… as she read Einstein's books she found a letter.
"Dear brother, I am very ill and I hope the best for you and everybody else, I have hidden all my fortune under the Nortedamein Paris." To Albert.
Amy and David headed straight to Magz and said
"PACK YOUR BAGS WE'RE HEADIING OFF TO PARIS."
David packed a rope and some comfortable clothes.
But Amy packed a fancy blue blouse, ripped jeans and ray bans.
They waited approximately an hour until they took off. On the plane David took billions of mini peanuts, so he can feel like a blemish giant.
When they arrived, they spotted the Dixons. David and Amy his behind a lounge chair, but Magz stayed walking. Ian whispered to his father "isn't that the out of the ordinary nanny, for those snobs?"
"Your right" said his father. Ian was holding a tranquilizer dart gun in his sweaty palms. David shouted "Magz look out!"
Red lights started beeping; Ian and his father gave the gun to an old lady who apparently got arrested. Then everything became calm, the Dixons disappeared, the airport was empty and Magz disappeared. The Korman's got worried. They got a taxi and told the cab driver "Nortredameplease."
They arrived at the Nortredameand… believe it or not the rest of the competition. They all had shovels.
The rest of the teams stayed digging and David and Amy watched. By the time they were done the night sky was pitch black. All the teams jumped into the holes except David and Amy and the Lorits. They watched the teams jump in the holes. Natty and Cody started filling the hole the Holts jumped into and their parents started attacking Amy and David. The sibling grabbed the remaining shovels and knocked out the parents. In the meantime the Holts were buried alive, and the Dixons are looking for the last four notes. The last four people standing rushed through the hole of the Dixons and dived in. It was as dark as space. Sirens started beeping, THE COPS. Ian and his father made a run for it. They climbed the out the hole and ran. The old lady hit them on their heads with her shriveled up walking up. Ian started pulling out splinters from his bulky skull as he and his father sat in that cop car. Two teams remained; David found a note in the pitch black hole, because Amy's fancy blouse was glittery and sparkly like the stars, so it made little light. The note said "WALK THREE STEPS FORWARD THEN TAKE A LEFT"They did as told. They found another note. It said look up. They looked up and saw a big K. Amy pressed it with awe. On the right side appeared the last note. Amy thought "How did they all come to Paris? Is it possible they've been followed?" They've won!
When they came out, there was no sign of the Lorits. They got lost in the tunnels. Outside the cop car was Magz listening to her iPod. She told them "Do you want to go home?"